Choosing Happiness

     Lately I have been trying to change my outlook on life to a more positive approach. It is easy to wake up each morning feeling bummed out and already upset at the world. Just thinking about all the schoolwork I know I'll receive that day to add onto my already giant load of homework is making me feel miserable however, just a slight tweak in attitude makes all the difference. Before I get out of bed I tell myself that "today is going to be a good day" and genuinely mean it, and to me it really helps. I begin to go about that day with a happier state of mind and not dread it as much any more.
     It is undoubtedly difficult to maintain such positivity when life is not going the way you want it to – unexpected low grades, falling behind in homework, approaching due dates with work that has yet to be started – yet through perseverance it makes you a better person (or me at least). Life is all about balance, whether it's between work, school, and extra-curricular activities, it is important to limit and not overwork ourselves. We all know the saying "too much of anything is bad", and that includes schoolwork and even Internet; this goes without saying that by keeping harmony in all aspects of life we can really begin to appreciate the little things in life ultimately leading to happiness.
     When the world is hard on you and you feel like giving up before you even begin, remember my favourite quote by Babe Ruth.

Sincerely, 

Suzy

Fall Wish List

     Every once in a while I tend to wander over to various online shops just to browse at the beautiful fall-themed new arrivals. In order to control my shopping addiction, I put together four pieces that I have been lustfully eying online but do not have the heart to purchase, maybe one I will have acquired all these for my wardrobe.

Alex & Ani has the most adorable quintessential dainty bracelets. I would love to one day own the "S" initial one and my birthstone bracelet. How cute would it looked stacked together!

Gap has got to be one of my most favourite stores for basic and good quality pieces. Every time I  go to Gap I always make it a habit to wander over to the classic button-up section where the beloved gingham shirt is hung on a hanger to check if maybe just maybe it's on sale.

L.L.Bean boots are always adorned by many preppy girls, and me being the conformist I am love them too. I do agree that it's not everyone's cup of tea however I think they look really nice and not to mention very practical for the snowy Canadian climate. 

Well until next time!

 

Sincerely,

Suzy

Makeup Must Haves

     Like every other girl out there, I like to wear makeup to look more decent, feel more confident, and hide those little insecurities that surface my face. Although I only use a select amount of products, these few items are pretty much my everyday go-to necessities for getting ready in the morning. Without further ado, scroll down to see my makeup must haves!
          

^ the precisely displayed contents of my makeup bag 

 ^ a Sephora makeup bag I got once upon a time at a grand opening

      As you can see here, these are all my products used on my face, it's very minimal BUT it's all i need anyway. I'll just give a brief review of each product so you could get the jist of why I like them.

Urban Decay's NAKED Flushed Palette

A quick Google search will show you the inside of this amazing palette. What I love most about this is that all the face products you need are in there! (A bronzer, a blush, and a highlighter) I mainly use the bronzer for my face and it gives the perfect bronze glow to my skin. The glitterless bronzer is a perfect match for summer, since it won't clog your pores! The blush and highlighter are also amazingly pigmented.

MAC Studio Finish Pressed Powder

If you're looking for a light coverage powder for your face, look no further! This product took me an eternity to finish, especially since I was alternating between this powder and my MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Natural (which to be honest I like a bit better). MAC powders do a great job in keeping your face shine free all day.

Clean & Clear Oil Blotting Sheets

Speaking of shiny faces, these blotting sheets are absolutely amazing in getting those oily spots on your face. The quality of the sheets themselves are incredible since they don't rip with use opposed to those Boscia ones I own (no offense Boscia blotting linens, haha). A great investment in my opinion!

Benefit's Watts Up

On a more positive not of shine, this creamy Benefit highlighter (obtained from Sephora's birthday perks, p.s you should sign up to get one too on your b-day!) has a great creamy consistency with just the rights amount of shine, illuminating the face without looking tacky.

Whole Food's Organic Peppermint Chapstick

I love the smell of mint in general, so this lip product is perfect for other mint lovers out there! With just the right amount of mint without being too potent and the perfect amount of moisture, what's not to love? Oh and it's organic so that's another plus!

^ my everyday brushes

(L-R: Sigma F-40, Mac 217, Ecotools Bronzing Brush, Bare Minerals Brush)

          Going on a little tangent here, I have been loving these skincare products at the moment. My skin hasn't been very agreeable lately so these two products have been my lifesavers. Here's why!

Clean & Clear Persa Gel 5

I've read many reviews about this product and was hesitant to try it but am so glad I did! This acne medicated product can literally get rid of you zits overnight, and any upcoming and inevitable breakouts. A definite recommendation on my behalf, not only that but it comes with loads of product in such a tiny tube.

Clean & Clear Acne Control Moisturizer

I swear I'm not a Clean & Clear ambassador or anything but they just make such amazing products for my acne prone-combination skin. So with that, I decided to try their moisturizer, once again with many positive reviews I decided to jump on the bandwagon and purchase one myself to see what the fuss was about. I was quickly impressed by the product, it didn't give that sticky feeling some moisturizers do and paired with the Persa Gel 5, it worked wonders!

          Hope I didn't burn your eyes out, or tire your minds with this lengthy post but I just had to share my must haves with you readers! Hope you liked it.

Sincerely,
Suzy

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

     If it's one quote that got me through these past few stressful weeks it's the quote: "don't sweat the small stuff". I am pretty sure that everyone could relate to this in some way or another, whether we're cramming for exams (for me at least) or just feeling bummed out, we've all felt undeniably stressed. With exams coming to an end, and summer just around the corner, it's hard to keep priorities in tact. Personally, exam seasons are the worst, we start to feel regret for "not studying earlier" and in return develop beautiful dark raccoon under eye circles from all the late night studying. I don't know about you but sometimes I feel really down just thinking about ALL the work still needed to be done, and not having enough time to write notes and study for all my subjects. But if we really put things into perspective, a little stress is good; it drives motivation which inevitably leads you to do better in school. However, too much stress can make what I like to call "Teenage Depression"; this includes the feelings of hopelessness, never feeling like you're good enough, and the list goes on.
     School is important, yes, but we shouldn't slave over it and forget the things in life that we actually enjoy. In 10 years from now, I doubt we'll regret that ONE unit we didn't study for, or that ONE test we did poorly on. It's easy to get caught up in all the little things that make you frustrated rather than see everything as a whole.
     Take each day one day at a time, live in the moment, take a moment to unwind, and most importantly don't sweat the small stuff.

This is me very efficiently studying for math, haha.

Apologies for the disastrous after math of studying

 Hugs and kisses,
Suzy

P.S. As I write this, I'm procrastinating for a law exam I have tomorrow, oh the irony.

Bonding over Fro Yo

Hi lovelies!

     Happy Saturday! If only that qualified as a real holiday, life would be good... Anyway, today my sister and I gave into our sweet tooth craving and decided to splurge over a cup of fro yo. Although today was pretty chilly to get fro yo, it did not matter, we got it anyways.
     For a quick recap of the day, first we went to the fro yo store and used those little cups to take a million samples. Some tasted really disgusting while others became my new favourites, one of them happened to be cotton candy (so good!). So this is my sister's first debut on my blog! Whether or not you knew I had a sister, well I do, and she's a year younger than me. Without further do, scroll down to see the photos.
 
     Here are the photos:

 ^ all the fro yo goodness

^ My Sister

 Jacket- Urban Outfitters;  Jeans- Levis; Scarf- Urban Outfitters; Shoes- Sperrys

 ^ Me

Jacket- The Gap; Jeans- American Eagle; Bag- Deena & Ozzy; Shoes- Converse

Hugs and kisses, 

Suzy

P.S. Do you readers like the collages with the filter effects? That way I can post more pictures in smaller portions.

A Day at the Shops

Hi lovelies!

     I am two weeks into my summer vacation and it has been quite enjoyable so far. I took a well needed  two months off so I could concentrate on school to pull up my average as much as I could for my final mark. As you could have probably guessed by the title of this post, I went shopping with the bestie! However, this "mall" wasn't like any ordinary mall, it was a strip mall. By this I mean the kinds where you would have to walk out of each individual store to go to the next one.
     Honestly, the trip was quite spontaneous. We did the most random things, ate a whole meal, and the best part? We didn't spend a single penny! How you might be thinking? Well just keep on reading to find out. First we walked around a bit, and went into some shops like Aritzia, Anthropologie (which I absolutely love!) and then we came to Murale. Murale is a beauty store, similar to Sephora, and since I saw a posting online for a professional NARS makeup lesson by a man name Andre (who apparently has many credentials in the makeup industry) I decided that we should sign up. This class was two hours and very knowledgeable, I learned a lot, got a makeover from a makeup artist and this is where the freebies kick in. There were complimentary sandwiches and water for the guests! Not little finger foods, but the whole sandwich! So we ended up taking three and splitting it so one and a half each. After the lesson, they gave us this coupon which allowed us to have one free hot beverage at a local espresso shop, so we seized the opportunity and got free drinks!
     If you made it to the end of this long story, I applaud you because this is probably the longest post I've ever written about my day. So keep on scrolling to see the pictures!

     Here are the photos:

^ the makeup lesson

^ delish complimentary sandwiches

 ^ the espresso shop

 

^ pinkies up!

^ can you tell we've had a makeover?

Hugs and kisses,

Suzy

Printed Bows

Hi lovelies,

      I hope everyone's having a great day, and sorry for the infrequent postings; I have been busy and uninspired lately. Today's post is based off a nail design posted by The Beauty Department (www.thebeautydepartment.com). This website has amazing beauty tips and ideas, especially their nail designs! They're so creative, unique, cute and somewhat easy to do. Since I owned all the colours needed, I thought that a re-creation on the original design would be fun to try out. Without further ado, keep on scrolling to see my take on this design. 

     Here are the photos:

^ products used

^ start off with a clean slate

^ Paint your nails three coats of Essie's "Turquoise & Caicos"

^ Use OPI's "Alpine Snow" and create two strokes in a "V" shape

^ Lastly, use a black striper to create a heart by outlining the border and paint two loops

^ voila we're done!

Sweater- Forever 21; Bracelet- ONLY

Hugs and kisses,

Suzy